Several parents at Mooifontein Primary School have opened a case of negligence against a family member of a learner who brought syringes to school, the Gauteng Department of Education said.
The incident occurred on Friday, where the Grade 4 learner and two friends allegedly injected fellow learners.
According to the learner’s family, she had used her sister’s bag on the day and only realised when she was in class that there were needles in the bag.
The department says approximately 28 learners were injected and have been put on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment as a precautionary measure.
Parents were advised to rush their children to medical practitioners for urgent medical attention.
Some learners didn’t respond well to the medication and experienced side effects of vomiting, while others experienced a runny stomach.
The owner of the syringes, which have been taken in for tests, is said to be using them for hormonal reasons.
The education department’s spokesperson Steve Mabona said counseling had been provided to all affected learners and would continue until the reintegration of learners to the school was concluded.
The school governing body has since commenced with a disciplinary process against the perpetrators.
“This is indeed an unfortunate incident to occur in a schooling environment. We call upon parents to always be cautious on things that might be detrimental to children’s lives,” Mabona said.